Congress called on to intervene in broken immigration system

WASHINGTON (Sinclair Broadcast Group) - For some, this weekend’s clashes along the U.S.- Mexico border are just the latest result of a broken system, one that’s included a back and forth between President Trump and the courts – on everything from laws regarding asylum seekers, child separation and who is banned from the country permanently and who isn’t.

The president is now threatening to close the border permanently and imploring Congress to fund the wall.

“I feel like the president is doing in his residential life the same thing he is doing in his business life which is conditionally push the parameters of the law and we constantly see the courts coming back in and saying you’ve gone too far and most importantly , the parents in the room - Congress - is doing nothing,” said Allen Orr, a Vice President with The American Immigration Lawyers Association.

But when you ask lawmakers what needs to be done, even though they disagree on the details, they almost always agree on the broader solution.

“Comprehensive immigration reform,” said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., when asked about it this summer.

Earlier this month, Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., said this:

“I think they key is to strengthen the border and of comprehensive immigration reform legislatively that will help solve these problems.”

There have been plenty of calls for reform but little to no action on passing sweeping legislation to tackle questions about those already here, funding for the border wall and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program recipients.

Sen James Lankford, R-Okla., said the holdup in passing anything is that Congress gets distracted.

“Immigration doesn’t have a deadline when it has to be done and so there seems to be no emphasis to gets things resolved and Congress came seem to stay in long enough to work through the issues,” Lankford said.

With very few working days left this legislative session, it will most likely fall to the next Congress to take up any comprehensive reform.